Outsourcing Technical Communication Issues, Policies and Practices

This book examines the impact of outsourcing on the field of technical communication. Aided by new technologies and driven by global market structures, technical communication products that were once developed in the United States or Western Europe are now being developed in Asia, Eastern Europe, and other parts of the world. If technical communication follows other fields, such as information technologies, electronics manufacturing, and even textiles, this 'outsourcing' of technical communication products and jobs will surely influence our profession-but how? What kinds of jobs will remain in the United States? Which jobs are more efficiently handled outside the United States? How can U.S. technical communicators develop a 'comparative advantage' in the global economy? How can collaboration and joint development of information products be managed? What are the ethical, cultural, social, and economic dilemmas created by outsourcing?This collection is designed as a theory/practice book that addresses the needs of graduate students, faculty, and technical communicators who want to teach, practice, or conduct research in this area. It addresses technical communications and outsourcing in six different parts of the world, including the United States. It also explores issues of curriculum, project management, legal considerations, and intercultural communication problems.This title is suitable for: Technical communication professionals in academia and industry; managers, researchers, and teachers of documentation projects who are involved in offshore outsourcing situations and need to find best practices, strategies, or recommendations for being successful; technical writers (freelancers and corporate employees) working with international partners interested in how outsourcing can affect the future of their profession; non-U.S. writers working in outsourcing projects looking to perform satisfactorily in their jobs; undergraduate and graduate professors in universities and community colleges teaching courses in publications management, information design, international communication, and technical writing, and students enrolled in those courses; teachers and students in rhetorical theory and professional communication pedagogy courses; ESL (English as a second language) and ESP (English for specific purposes) readers.

Acknowledgements

Introduction: The Changing Face of Technical Communication in the Global Outsourcing Economy
Carlos Evia

PART I: Outsourcing Practices by Region

CHAPTER 1 Technical Communication and IT Oursourcing in India— Past, Present, and Future
Prashant Natarajan and Makarand Pandit

CHAPTER 2 Defining Technical Communication in the United States and India: A Contrastive Analysis of Established Curricula and Desired Abilities
Carlos Evia

CHAPTER 3 Africa Goes for Outsourcing
Michael Jarvis Kwadzo Bokor

CHAPTER 4 Outsourcing of Technical Communication Tasks from German-Speaking Contexts
Petra Drewer and Charlotte Kaempf

CHAPTER 5 Approaching Outsourcing in Rhetoric and Professional Communication: Lessons from U.S.-Owned Maquilas in Mexico
Barry Thatcher and Victoriano Garza-Almanza

PART II: Management and Cross-Cultural Communication Issues

CHAPTER 6 The Information Developer's Dilemma
JoAnn Hackos and William Hackos, Jr.

CHAPTER 7 Language, Culture, and Collaboration in Offshore Outsourcing: A Case Study of International Training Team Communication Competencies
James Melton

CHAPTER 8 The Implications of Outsourcing for Technical Editing
Clint Lanier

PART III: Legal, Ethical, and Political Issues

CHAPTER 9 The Privacy Problems Related to International Outsourcing: A Perspective for Technical Communicators
Kirk St. Amant

CHAPTER 10 Outsourcing Technical Communication: The Policy Behind the Practice
Keith Gibson

CHAPTER 11Obligations and Opportunities: Legal Issues in Offshore Outsourcing Technical Communication
Charlsye Smith Diaz

Conclusion Personal Reflection on Developing a Viable Trajectory for Outsourcing Technical Communications Barry Thatcher

Meet the Contributors

Index